Multiple-piston internal-combustion engine.



871,539. PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

G. E. VAN AUKEN.

MULTIPLE PISTON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7, 1905.

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WITNESSES. HVl/EA/TOI? a Q a (a a CZarenceEkZ/zMn By W W W ATTORNEYS No. 871,539. PATENTED'NOV. 19, 1907.

' c. E. VAN AUKEN. N MULTIPLE PISTON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION I ILED JAN. 7, 1906. I

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INVENTOR l'kinfiukem BY W ATTORNEYS .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE E. VAN AUKEN, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO VAN AUKEN MOTOR AND MACHINE WORKS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MULTIPLE-PISTON INTERNAL-COMBUSTION EN Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Nov. 19, 1907:

: Application filed January 7. 1905- Berial No. 240,005-

. tion.

This invention relates to an internal combustion engine of that general type in which a single cyhnder is provided with two istons arranged to be forced apart by the exp osion.

A special object of my invention is to improve the port arrangement so that the engine is rendered valveless and the charge maybe admitted simultaneously to the two crank casesrespectively at the ends of the cylinder, in which cases the charge is compressed and thence transferred through --a smallinlet ort to the cylinder. In attaining this emf I provide each crank case with an admission port uncovered by the pistons when atthe limit of their inward strokes and both of these admission ports have communicationwith the source of fuel mixture, thus permitting me to instantly charge both crank cases and, notwithstanding the high speed of the e ine, insuring sufficient mixture to amply the working chamber; By thus both crank cases directly I can run the e he at high speed without danger of incom pite charging. From one crank case a supply passageleads to a cylinder inlet port w ch is uncovered by one of the pistons vatits out stroke, andto said supply passage. a transfer assa efrom the ot er crankcase leads. 't follows that the ar raugements for controlling the flow of mixture to t e-working chamber are such as insure ra id movements of full charges andthus ow of ca acity.

The invention involves various other features of major or minor im ortance, all of running the engine at its highest which will be fully set forth 7 ereinafter and pointedout in the claims.

Referencelis to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures, in which j Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the engine; and Fig.2 is a horizontal section thereof.

The form of the engine which I have here chosen'to illustrate embodies a single cylinder 10 provided with a water jacket 11 and an igniting device '12 of any desired form,

the igniting device lying ap roximately midway the length of the cy 'nder as shown. The engine may be mounted on a base 14, 'the construction of which is in no way essential. At each end of the c linder, a closed crank case 15 is arranged: These crank cases communicate respectively with the cylinder ends and have a crank shaft 16 rev- 0 ubly mounted therein, as shown. Connected withthe cranks of said shaft are the rods 17, which are in turn joined res ectively to trunk pistons 18, operating in t e cylinder and arranged to move simultaneously toward or from each other, as the dis osition of the crank shafts in the two views shows.

19 indicates the inlet ort of the engine, which passes into the cy 'nder 10 near one end thereof, and 20 indicates the exhaust port which passes from the other end portion, as shown. The orts 19 and 20 in the end parts of the cylin er 10 are so ositioned that they will be uncovered by t eir respective pistons when the istons reach the ends of' their outward stro es. Each end portion of the cylinder is also formed with a port 21 and t ese ports are positioned so that they will be uncovered by their respective pistons when the pistons reach the end of their in ward or compression strokes.

'22 indicated the source of combustible mixture which may be of any desiredsort.

This mixture source 22 opens into the middle asses outside of the I of a duct 23, which jacket 11 of the' cylin or 10 and communicates at its ends respectively with the ports 21. The ri ht-hand crank case 15 has a port 25 formed t erein and with this port a conduit 24. communicates. This conduit 24 extends toward the left-hand end of the en ine and at its inner end communicates wit a ort 25. This port 25 leads from the leftand crank case 15 outside'of the adjacent end of the c linder to the port 19. It will be observed, t erefore, that the port 25 and conduit 24 furnish a means placin the right crank casein communication wit the port 19, and that the ort 25 furnishes a means placing the leftand crank case in communication with said port. p

Each crank shaft 16 is provided with a balance wheel 26 and alsocarries a miter gear 27. .These' gears are meshed with corre-' sponding gears 28 attached to a shaft 29 suitably sustained on the frame of the engine, In the operationof-the engine, assuming that a charge of fuel and'air has been compressed between the piston heads in the cen ter of the cylinder (referring to Fig. 1), upon igniting this charge combustion and expansion will take place and the pistons will be driven outward. The exhaust port is first uncovered and the gases within the cylinder fall to atmospheric pressure; Subseqllllently, the inlet port 19 is uncovered and 15 t e fuel mixture previously compressed in 'the'crank case passes throughthe port in the cylinder and moves through the same in a compact column toward the exhaust port 20, pushing out through said port all of the burned'gases lying infthe cylinder. Finally, .the pistons begin their return movement, and. the inlet and exhaust ports are closed and the compressive period begins. the pistons reach the limit of their inward "movement the ports 21 are uncovered, and

owing to the rarefaction withinthecrankcases due to the inward or compressive movement of the pistons, the instant the ports 21 are uncovered a charge of mixture is drawn into the crank cases through the ducts 23, and thismixture bein entrapped .upon the outward movement 0- the pistons is next compressed thereby. When the pistons reach the limit of their outward movement the ports 19 and 20 are 'a'gainuncovered-and then the mixture com ressed in the two crank cases, ports 25an 25 and duct 24 en-' ters-the cylinder through the port 19, taking its place in the cylinder to be compressed by the returning pistons as has been explained hereinbefore The gearing connectin the two crank shafts in ,the preferred em odiment of my invention, serves to retain said shafts, and their connecting pistons in the proper relation to each other.-

Having thusdescribed my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 'Patent'.--' I 1. An internalcombustion engine having a. double cylinder, closed. chambers communicating, respectively, each end thereof, opposed,pistons operating in the end portions 0 the cylinder, means connecting the .pistons to ermit them to move in unison, the cylin erhaving aninlet port, an exhaust port in'each of the opposite end portions, and additional ports adapted to communicate respectively with the ,said' ch'am bers, the inlet and exhaust ports being unto covered by the pistons when in their outer positions and the said additional ports being uncovered by the pistons when in their in.- ward positions, means placing saidadditional ports in co unication with the source of combustib e mixture, and walls When 7 forming passages from the said closedcham bers to the inlet port,

- 2. An internal combustion engine having a double cylinder, closed chambers communicating, res ectively, with each end 7 thereof, opposed pistons operating in the end portions of the cylinder, means connectitug the pistons to permit them to move in unisonas they reciprocate in opposite directions, the cylinder aving an inlet port and an exhaust pcrt, one being located adjacent each end portion, and having additional ports adapted to communicate, respectively, with the said chambers, the inlet and-ex haust port's being'uncovered by the pistons I when 1n their outer positions and the said additional ports being uncovered by the pistons when in their inner positions, means placing said additional ports in communication with the source of combustible mixture, walls forming a passa e from one of said closed chambers around the adjacent cylinder end to theinlet port, and, a transfer conduit extending from said passage at apoint adjacentto the inlet port to the opposite '90 chamber.

' .3. An internal combustion engine having a deuble' cylinder, -closed chambers commumcating, res ectively, with each endthereof, oppose pistons operating in the end portions of the cylinder, means connecting the pistons to maintain them in unison as they reciprocate,- the cylinder having an inlet port and an exhaust port in its'respec- 'tive end portions and having additional ,100

ports adapted to communicate respectively, with the said chambers, the inlet ort and the exhaust port being uncovere by the pistons when in their outer positions and the said additional ports being-uncovered by the .105

istons when in their inner positions, a conduit leading from each of said closed chambers" around the adjacent cylinder ends .to the inlet port, and means placing the addi tional portsin communication with the 110,

source of combustible mixture consisting in a conduit passing between said ports and having an inlet opening intermediate its ends whereby equally to supply the said chambers.

4. An internal combustion engine having a double cylinder provided with an inlet port, opposed pistons therein, closed com pressor chambers respectively at the ends of the cylinders, the engine having an inlet port for each compressor chamber uncovered y the pistons at the end of their inward strokes, means placing said inlet ports in e ual communication with the source of fuel mixture whereby to securemaxirnum fuel charges in said chambers, and means placing both compressor chambers in communication with the inlet port of) the 7 working cylinder. i

5. An internal combustion engine having v a double cylinder provided with all inlet port adjacent one end thereof, an exhaust port ad acent the opposite end thereof, pistons located therein and connected for operation in unison in opposite directions, closed compressor chambers respectively at the ends of the cylinder, said engine having inlet ports for each compressor chamber uncovered by the pistons at the end of their inwardstrokes, means for delivering a fuel mixture to each of said chambers in equal proportions, and means placing both compressor chambers incommunication with the inlet port of the working cylinder.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 15 name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLARENCE E. VAN AUKEN.

Witnesses WM. W. SCRUGHAM, GABRIEL REEVE. 

